Coal is a main energy source for generating electricity, in the United States and throughout the world. Over six billion tons of coal are consumed per year. If the efficiency of the combustion of coal could be improved even by only a small percentage, or even a fraction of a percentage, the savings in tons of coal per year and/or the resulting increase in energy generation, could be significant.
There is a continuing, never-ending need to improve the efficiency of our energy generation and to reduce waste of natural resources such as coal. Less efficient combustion of coal is efficiently a waste of a natural resource and improving the efficiency of the combustion of coal reduces the amount of waste generated per ton of coal consumed, increases the amount of energy generated per ton of coal consumed, and/or improves the operation of the coal-fueled furnace where the coal is consumed. There is a need for improved methods of operating such furnaces to improve the combustion of coal.